পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৪৬৫

437 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ দক্ষিণ এশিয়ায় অনুসৃত মার্কিন নীতিঃ সিনেটের কার্যবিবরণী ১১ ডিসেম্বর, ১৯৭১ সিনেটর কেনেডির ভাষণ December II, 197] CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE S 21451 FAILURE OF U.S. POLICY IN SOUTH ASIA Mr. Kennedy. Mr. President, a tragic and senseless war-a war as unnecessary and as senseless as all wars-continues to spread today across South Asia. There has been during the last few days a great deal of handwriting and rationalizing over why and how this war came, who is responsible for it, and what can be done about it. Over just the last 3 days there has been an unusual flurry of briefings by nameless high-level spokesmen within both the Department of State and the White House attempting to clarify this administration's policy toward the crisis in South Asia-a policy which still, to many Americans, defies understanding. For despite these briefings, and counter briefings, and off-the-record statements, our Nation's policy toward the 8-month-old crisis in East Bengal remains as unclear and as contradictory as it has from the beginning. During these 8 long months of bloodshed and tragedy in East Bengal our Government has placed out foreign policy toward Pakistan on an alter of leverage, insisting that silence could bring influence-that by avoiding the condemnation of genocidal acts by the West Pakistan Army against the people of East Bengal, it would somehow stop that genocide-that by continuing the shipment of American military equipment to the Pakistan army, the army would somehow stop using it to suppress East Bengal. But surely there is no more specious an argument than this, which says that to have leverage we must contribute to, and support, the very problem we seek to address. As outlined this week by anonymous White House spokesmen, the United States over the last several weeks has engaged, in what they call "A Hectic Race Against Time" to achieve a solution that would avoid war. But, Mr. President, it is fair of us to ask when, if ever, this "race against time" began. Did it begin, for instance, in mid-July? Certainly, the situation then in South Asia was not basically different than it is now or has been from the beginning. And between July 7 to the 14th our Government had a peculiar opportunity to influence events on the subcontinent. To refresh our memories, the situation at that time in East Bengal was that the Pakistan Army was touring the countryside killing members of the banned Awami League Party, and slaughtering in the process thousands of innocent men, women, and children. Over 7 million refugees found it necessary to flee to India in order to escape the bloody terror of repression-some 45,000 were fleeing each day. The freely elected